Secrets and Lies
by FortuneAly
Summary: Strange feelings, hidden fears. When one relationship goes down in flames, another rises from the ashes.
1. Dreaming of You

I don't own Battle Force 5, which belongs to Mattel and Nerd Corps Entertainment.

* * *

He was the particle physicist that could rival even some of the most brilliant scientists. But since when did he get the feeling he wasn't so sure of his sexual orientation?

Ever since they helped the Kharamanos get free, he found himself tempted to override the access code to Vert's bedroom at night and perform a few..."experiments". There was a problem: Vert was typically a light sleeper, which he found out one night when he dropped something near the hallway that led to their bedrooms. He also wouldn't bother him primarily because he needed the rest so that he could be better prepared to handle the tasks as Leader.

Until today, he decided.

With the push of a few buttons, the door slid open, letting the light from the hallway shine on part of the bed. There was his subject laying stomach first under the light red covers, arms and sleeping face lying on the pale red pillow.

Taking a deep breath and pushing any uncomfortable thoughts aside, he crept his way over to the bed, letting the door slide shut behind him, putting the room back in darkness.

He paused for a brief moment in curiosity when he heard him mumble and shift in the bed sheets. That turned out to be a false alarm when he saw him turn to his side and ease up. Tezz exhaled a sigh of relief: he did not want him waking up and interrupting the experiment. It started with a simple touch of the finger, feeling around his face and body for any spots that he deemed were the most vulnerable, which would make him move or stir.

Finding a few on his chest, he learned that Vert was primarily ticklish in that spot, but nothing about what the Russian was feeling at the moment. 'Moving to phase two...' he declared once Vert settled back down.

* * *

Vert awoke with a start, sweat and other juices covering his whole body and the pale red bed sheets. It was the same dream he had a month after Tezz joined and a few days after he and the Russian helped said aliens. He touched his cheeks. They still had some warmth in them, the warmth of love.

That man was in them again.

As much as he wanted to be with him and be happy, he couldn't. He had reality to face. With a sigh, he got out of bed, and proceeded to clean up.

While removing the sheets and red blanket, he noticed some visible wear and the colors were starting to fade. He had washed them a fair few times, not only because of the juices, but for something else.

'Right,' he realized. 'I kept washing them because Agura's touched them before.'


	2. Story of My Life

I don't own Battle Force 5, which belongs to Mattel and Nerd Corps Entertainment.

* * *

_When I was younger, I was bullied by a girl in Elementary School, who thought she and her friends found me an easy target to humiliate because my father disappeared to who-knows-where and my mother died. She made my childhood miserable until she was caught by a teacher for trying to steal a few of my personal belongings and expelled._

_Since then, I've been afraid of women, and have ironically gained-wait for it-affections for both genders._

_I know. Weird, isn't it? But now that I think of it, it could've been the reason why I wanted to do things alone. Saving the Multiverse included._

_Being a member of the Battle Force 5 wasn't bad. It was through Sage's work did I meet someone who I thought would be the love of my life. Zoom Takazumi, our team's Scout. I kept my own feelings locked away, despite me wanting to act on them. I was worried that he wouldn't understand them. He's with Grace now. It's the price I pay for keeping it a secret._

_One day, people in the diner began thinking that me and Agura were going to be boyfriend and girlfriend. I thought it was just a rumor and brushed it off for a fair few weeks._

_I guess Agura must've believed it, because she confessed to me the night after Krytus was awakened!_

_I wanted to say "no way, José" and tell her that I was afraid of her gender and that I only thought of her as a friend. But then I saw them. I saw the prying eyes of people outside the diner, waiting to confirm what's been spread around._

_Though I felt like an idiot, I said I loved her back. At the time, I was thinking what Stanford was probably thinking: why couldn't it be him?_

_So, my life pretty much went on in misery, what with a "girlfriend" in tow, and strange dreams of a man kissing me at night while I sleep. That is, until things changed during Stanford's birthday._


	3. Invitation

I don't own Battle Force 5, which belongs to Mattel and Nerd Corps Entertainment.

* * *

Amidst a stretch of canyons in the Salt Flats, various animal-like creatures with dark colored fur, feathers, and skin all with a jagged black heart symbol somewhere on their bodies. They were making their way through the desert in one huge pack.

Some were sliced by the blades of the Saber before they could move another inch forward. Four more cars soon joined in, serving as animal control.

"What are those things, anyway?" Spinner asked from in the Buster, switching on the turret chain to get rid of the flying creatures. "They look like something out of a video game!"

"Whatever they are, they're trying to get into the town! Push them back!" Agura commanded with agitation through communication channels before slamming one of the Tangler's claws into one of the creatures.

"All right, all right!" Spinner replied. "Sheesh, you're testy."

"Agura, are you sure you're...okay?" Vert asked with nervousness in his voice before slicing a few owl-like creatures.

"Your emotional state seems...off," Tezz noted, crossbow rising up from the hood of his car.

"I'm fine," Agura replied, calming down. But over the past few days, she had become more easily agitated, and she didn't like that.

After getting rid of the last of them, they drove back off to their base of operations.

* * *

Back at the Hub, the first thing Vert did when he got out was talk to Sage about what he saw. "They looked like...like animals, only weirder," he noted.

"Interesting," Sage noted.

"Is there anything in your records about these creatures?" Tezz asked.

"No, I have no knowledge of them in my databanks," Sage replied. "I will look into them, though."

"Ah, everyone's here!" Stanford noted while he came in, holding a letter in his hand. "May I have your attention, please!"

Everyone turned around to find him.

"The good news is my birthday's coming up! Huzzah!" Stanford cheered, to no response from the others. "And now the bad news: mother wants me to have it at the Rhodes mansion, so this will be a formal event."

A few groans came from some of the members. "I know! And I was going to take you to a club to celebrate!" he added while passing the letter to Vert.

Everyone else huddled around to get a better look at it. Sure enough, it was a formal invitation to a ball for a celebration, with a P.S. that told Stanford and his friends to come early.

"Well?" Agura asked.

"Let's get shopping," Vert said. Taking a deep breath, he turned to her. "We'll start with a dress for you first."

"What?" she asked in shock. "I am not going to that party and I am definitely _not_ wearing a dress!"

"Agura, Stanford's our friend," Vert reasoned, hoping that he wasn't shaking in his boots. "Which means we have to find a way to celebrate, too. We'll go to the party and then we'll think of a way to celebrate here. Family comes first this time around."

She took hold of his shoulders, causing him to freeze up. "This had better be worth it, Vert," Agura whispered, the threat clear. "Unless you want a breakup, you'd better stop acting like I have cooties when I touch you."

The Huntress let go and walked off. It took him a few moments to de-petrify before he thought 'Lady, that's the first thing I want.'

* * *

She stepped into her room, the door sliding shut. Everything in there was neat and orderly: the books on the shelf were alphabetized, pencils and pens were laid out neatly on the desk along with paper, the green blanket and light green sheets and pillows did not show any sign of being slept on, and everything was free of dust thanks to some of Spinner's work keeping it germ-free.

She took a seat on the bed and let out a shaky puff of breath. It was frustrating. People have been trying to get her to stop, but she couldn't. The shrinks would think this wasn't healthy for her. Agura was falling back on old habits, but even she didn't know why.


	4. Reflecting and Shopping

I do not own Hot Wheels Battle Force 5. That is owned by Mattel and Nerd Corps Entertainment.

* * *

Growling in disgust, Agura looked around the dress shop. The walls were a tan color, the ceiling tiled with lights on them. Gowns and dresses lined the walls, some mannequins were near the red fitting room stalls, and she walked around on the blue carpeted floor.

She was pissed that Vert left her to shop alone. One minute, they were looking at gowns for her to wear. The next thing she knew, he was gone. He'd been avoiding her ever since she confessed to him and it annoyed her.

Now that she thought about it...did he even feel the same way about her?

She thought back to when she had Spinner find out what Vert was doing because he kept denying her offers for a date. Sure enough, he caught photos of him and Tezz having casual conversation at a restaurant. On one of the pictures, the way they looked seemed...flirty to them.

It took all of her restraint to tell him that it was nothing. Vert and Tezz were only acquaintances, or at least, that's what she believed. Lovers would never cheat on each other, especially if someone with the same gender was advancing on one of them.

Or would they?

Soon realizing that she was being paranoid, she picked out a yellow-green gown to wear and took it to the fitting room to try on.

* * *

At a store with brown walls, a wooden floor, and various suits, Vert breathed a sigh of relief, plopping his rear down on a bench. Sure, it was rude, but seeing all those dresses and Agura's occasional disgusted looks made him want to get out of there before her fuse went short.

"Captain?"

Vert looked up to find Tezz staring down at him, a calculator in one of his hands. "Ran off from your 'girlfriend' again?" Tezz asked.

"You read my mind," he replied.

"Vert, may I ask you a question?" Tezz requested.

"Ask away," Vert told him.

"Why do you avoid Agura in terms of casual interaction?"

"She's in love with me, but I don't want to be involved in a relationship with her. As weird as it sounds, I like you."

"Er…"

"And that's one of the reasons," he finished, pointing at him with a playful smile on his face.

'He's cute when he's trying to figure things out,' he thought.

The sound of a phone ringing brought him out of his reverie and when he took it out he sighed at the name on the ID. He flipped it open and brought it to his ear. No sooner did he say "hello" did he have to move the phone away from his ear. Tezz sighed upon hearing her rant. He wondered when the cycle he was trapped in was going to break.

If he didn't do something about it soon, it would mean disaster. And Tezz didn't want petty things to break the team dynamic the Battle Force 5 have.


	5. What Happened Back Then

I do not own Hot Wheels Battle Force 5. That is owned by Mattel and Nerd Corps Entertainment.

* * *

Sometime back, Tezz wrote an anonymous letter to Vert, hoping to confirm if the feelings he had were true. To his surprise, Vert was ecstatic to receive it, happy and a little surprised that a boy had finally fallen for him after his feelings for Zoom were unreciprocated.

When Agura asked why Vert was so chipper while he got ready, she expected to hear that he was finally going to ask her on a date. Her answer was different.

"Just hanging out with one of the guys," he lied before going off.

* * *

Outside of a café, Vert took a look around while he waited by the door. He went a little more business casual than normal: donning a white dress shirt with a loose red tie, black pants, and similarly colored shoes. The place he was at didn't really call for anything too casual, so he wore it to hopefully fit in with the atmosphere as well as impress his secret admirer.

The Splitwire drove into the parking lot, and Tezz stepped out after shutting off the car. He donned a white shirt under a brown pants, black dress pants, and brown shoes. On one half of the vest was a gold lightning bolt pin. It didn't take a stunned Vert long to connect the dots.

"T-Tezz?" Vert asked in shock. "That was you?"

"My apologies, captain," Tezz apologized, trying to hide his blush. "I...wanted to..."

"Let's talk inside, okay?" Vert offered, opening the door.

* * *

Inside the building was a simple wood walled restaurant with a brown tiled floor, a navy blue ceiling, and photos hanging on the orange colored walls.

The two entered the building and got a table for two by the waiter, who gave them their menus upon sitting down. For a few loooong minutes, they sat in silence, trying to take in the whole situation.

"So...why do you...?" Vert began.

"There is...something going on within me," Tezz told him. "It is not physical or mental. I already had Sage scan me for health problems, but she said I was in perfect health. I reevaluated everything I experienced when I was with you and..."

"...And you're in love," he finished for him.

"It is odd, but yes, I am," the latter answered.

As time went on, the two began to relax and open up. Tezz was eager to know about this part of the world he now lived in, which Vert was happy to teach about. Vert in the meanwhile confessed about his own problems, and told him a few things he didn't think even A.J. knew about him.

They were unaware that Agura had requested Spinner to see what was going on with Vert. He had taken pictures of the whole "first date" without their knowledge.

* * *

"Lucy, I'm hoooome!" Spinner called out later that evening. Agura turned behind her to find him coming up to her with his cell phone in one hand.

"Well, if it isn't the little spy," Agura noted. "Did you get the pictures?"

He flipped open his phone and looked through the menu. "Yep," he answered. "Um...have you ever considered the fact that your boyfriend might be gay?"

"My _what?"_ she asked in surprise.

Spinner nervously showed her a few of the pictures he had taken. In a few of them, Vert and Tezz were exchanging flirty looks. And Agura could never get Vert to smile the way Tezz did.

"I am _positive_ that your mind's playing tricks on you, Spinner," Agura told him, trying to control her anger.

"Um, okay..." Spinner meekly complied before going off.

They were unaware that in the room next to them, Vert and Tezz were getting ready to take the next step beyond acquaintanceship.


	6. Coming Clean, The Easy Bit

I do not own Hot Wheels Battle Force 5. That belongs to Mattel and Nerd Corps Entertainment.

* * *

That was a few months ago, and due to the false pretense of a relationship between Agura and Vert, Tezz could not get anywhere in his part of the relationship and neither could Vert. In the meantime, Agura told him to delete those photos. Though Spinner said he would, he actually didn't.

He kept him in the album in his phone, the pictures burning in his memory so much, it at one point became too much to wrap his head around. Vert and Tezz...gay for each other?

'That's nuts!' Spinner exclaimed in his head.

But taking another look, he saw that the looks they were giving off were genuine. '...Or is it?'

* * *

"Okay, she's gone," Spinner realized in a whisper before going off to find Vert. At the time, he thought about saving it for later, but seeing him sigh and let down his defenses in the Rec Room, he had to do it.

He took a deep breath and entered the room, approaching Vert, who was sitting on the couch.

"Um...there's something I wanted to show you," Spinner began. "I didn't want to show you because Agura swore me to secrecy about it, but since she's gone, I'm safe."

He took out his cell phone and showed him the pictures he took of that time. "Agura asked me to find out why you weren't accepting her offers for a date and take pictures of the evidence," he said, the color draining from Vert's face. "Is it true that you're...well, gay?"

'All right, time to come clean to the other boys,' he decided.

* * *

A few minutes later, all of the men in the group were gathered up in the rec room. Stanford was particularly stunned at what he heard, especially since this came two days before his birthday!

"You're _what?!"_ Stanford asked in disbelief.

"Gynophobic," Vert finally admitted. "I fear women. And I can't go on..."

He sighed.

"...hiding this thing inside of me like a coward anymore. I lied to Agura and kept this away from all of you. I don't want to live my life as a liar. It's definitely not what my mother would want."

Everyone else murmured in surprise. "Tomorrow, I'm going to end my relationship with Agura," he began.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Spinner interrupted. "You're going to break up with her? You realize she'll lose it when you do?!"

"Well, there are ways to say things without upsetting her emotional stability..." Tezz pointed out.

"Tezz has a point..."

They turned to Vert, who looked down, showing a face that clearly revealed that he was exhausted from continuous yells from her. "But..."

Body shaking, he abruptly looked at the group again.

"I don't know what to say and how to say it!" Vert blurted out. "She's a time bomb waiting to go off! How do-!"

A.J. placed two hands on his shoulders. The gesture stopped him in his tracks.

"If she's been giving you nothing but grief and you want to break up with her, be honest," he advised. "Don't let your fears get to you, man."

"...Thanks," Vert thanked, not realizing the tears forming up in his eyes.


	7. The Moment of Truth

I don't own Hot Wheels Battle Force 5. That belongs to Mattel and Nerd Corps Entertainment.

* * *

At a mansion with five floors, the cars pulled into a parking lot, the sun setting up ahead of them. A few other cars were parked ahead of them, indicating that the party had not yet started. Each person got out or off of their vehicles clad in formal attire: while the men wore tuxedos with ties matching the primary colors of their Shocksuits, Agura wore the green ball gown she bought at the shop with pearl earrings and a necklace adorning her.

"Right this way, chaps," Stanford offered, and they went up to the house, where they were greeted by a young man with black hair and brown eyes serving as a butler. It took all of Vert's restraint not to blush when he saw him.

They were soon led inside and into the dance hall, a large room mostly empty with a beautifully tiled floor, a chandelier hanging above them, and large windows, some of them leading to balconies.

"It's the perfect place for a romantic moment, wouldn't you agree?" the butler asked.

'And I think I've got an idea...' Agura noted.

* * *

The guests arrived when the sun fully set and the ball was in full swing. People glided across the dance floor, the sounds of an orchestra providing the appropriate music. It was initially Vert trying to teach Tezz how to ballroom dance, with an occasional flirty glance from the two every now and then. Agura quickly traded partners with him out of jealousy and surprise.

"Men are supposed to dance with _women_," she told him in a whisper. He quickly switched partners back to Tezz.

The two were soon trading off Vert, an unseen, subtle dance-off going on. It wasn't until Vert and Agura danced away did the competition end, everything going as planned for her.

* * *

"Agura, where are we going?" Vert asked while the two of them went to a private room.

"Someplace where I'm sure you'll like what you'll see," she answered, heading outside to a balcony that displayed a good view of the lot below them.

And indeed, he liked what he saw: a starless night and a clear blue moon ('According to Tezz, the next one is years away!' he noted, so he considered himself lucky) in the sky, and a crisp breeze in the air that wasn't too cold. "This...this is beautiful, Agura!" he noted in surprise.

But his joy quickly changed to fear when she got a little too close. "And it's about to be even more beautiful than that..." she told him, leaning in close while puckering her lips.

He didn't know what happened next, but his mind took over.

"Agura, don't," Vert said, trying to sound as stern as he possibly could without showing too much fear.

She stopped right where she was and moved back. Whatever he had to say, it seemed important. He took a deep breath. If he was going to take A.J.'s advice, he had to be as composed as humanly possible.

"I do not love you," he told him, shocking her. "I am not in love with you. You're just a friend to me, a trusted ally in our mission to save the Multiverse. I'm actually afraid of women."

"What do you mean?" Agura asked.

"My freezing up when you touched me was not me being childish," he clarified. "It was a reminder of a time when someone who was female tormented me when I was younger. The events have since scarred me into fearing the opposite gender."

"Ironic thing is...I'm bisexual," Vert said, not caring if her shock was putting her on the verge of erupting into an upset mess. "But when people saw us together, they began to think we were a couple. You admitted you loved me that time. I had to lie to appease the masses. That proved to be the biggest mistake of my life."

"But...b-b-but you said you were bisexual!" a dumbfounded Agura pointed out. "Shouldn't you be able to conquer this fear with the help of a woman to love?"

"This runs too deep for me to be attracted to women," he admitted bluntly, and all the color drained from her face.

"I'm sorry for lying to you all those months," he apologized, looking down with regret. Both on his actions back then and all the times he had to keep his true status a secret from her. "But I'm sure you'll find someone who'd be a real boyfriend to you."

Agura was still in shock while he watched him leave the balcony and go back inside. When she heard the engine of the Saber run and the car leave, it was the end of the lie that was her love life.


	8. I'm Free, So Now What?

Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 is by Mattel and Nerd Corps Entertainment.

* * *

Parked somewhere away from the mansion was the Saber, with a somewhat distraught Vert seated in its cockpit. He was free from her, so shouldn't he be happy about it? That he finally got away from what was holding him back for so long?

"Vert! There you are!"

Stanford's voice from the communication channels got his attention, and the other vehicles soon pulled up. "Guys?" he asked.

"I saw you leave before dessert was called," A.J. answered. "What happened?"

"...I broke up with her is what I did," Vert answered. "From the look on her face, she didn't take it that well."

Everyone was speechless for a moment. When it came to relationships, he was often on the unsure side. They didn't think he'd have the courage to do it, but he did it.

"She's still at the ball, you know," Spinner spoke up.

"I know, but I'm worried about her," the Leader of the team replied. "I may not like her romantically, but I'm still her friend, and I want to help her in some way."

"Breakups are big, eh?" A.J. asked. "Especially to the women. We'll figure out something."

* * *

In the Hub, Sage typed furiously away at the light blue data screen before her, a look of frustration on her face. No information on those creatures from a few days ago. Perhaps she was looking for answers in all the wrong databanks?

She couldn't answer that question now, for they had resurfaced again according to the alarm.

* * *

"Alert! The creatures you encountered earlier have emerged in a Battle Zone!" Sage's voice spoke up from the com-link channels.

"We're on it, Sage," Vert affirmed. "Tezz, Zoom, and A.J., you're with me."

"I'll bring the others back to the Hub and catch up with you," Stanford said while starting up the Reverb.


	9. Premonition

Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 is by Mattel and Nerd Corps Entertainment.

* * *

When they arrived in the Inferno Battle Zone, they had found that the creatures had indeed come back, and they were taking bits and pieces of the world before them. It was already going unstable, continuous tremors making driving hard for Vert, Zoom, Tezz, and A.J.

"It's those weird animal things again!" Zoom pointed out.

"Those 'animal things' are called Nightmares," Sage corrected via com-link. "They are not of the Multiverse, but rather somewhere in between dimensions."

"Between dimensions?" Vert questioned. "Like where?"

"That is uncertain," Sage answered. "For now, defeat them. Their actions could devastate the Multiverse...and something else."

* * *

Agura was a mix of emotions when they got back. Betrayal, sadness, shock, the biggest one was anger, and she wanted to vent it on him at the moment when he approached her.

"You jerk!" Agura snapped, slapping him and shooting down any chance of an apology at the moment. She walked away back upstairs, and with her back turned to the group.


End file.
